diff --git a/s7.c b/s7.c
index 22ebd73..82df0a2 100644
--- a/s7.c
+++ b/s7.c
@@ -25450,7 +25450,7 @@ static void leave_lock_scope(lock_scope_t *st)
 #else
 #define TRACK(Sc)
 #endif
-
+ 
 static block_t *search_load_path(s7_scheme *sc, const char *name)
 {
   s7_int len;
@@ -25458,7 +25458,7 @@ static block_t *search_load_path(s7_scheme *sc, const char *name)
 
   lst = s7_load_path(sc);
   len = s7_list_length(sc, lst);
-
+  
   if (len > 0)
     {
       block_t *b;
@@ -25473,13 +25473,11 @@ static block_t *search_load_path(s7_scheme *sc, const char *name)
 	  new_dir = string_value(s7_list_ref(sc, lst, i));
 	  if (new_dir)
 	    {
-	      FILE *fp;
 	      filename[0] = '\0';
 	      catstrs(filename, 1024, new_dir, "/", name, NULL);
-	      fp = fopen(filename, "r");
-	      if (fp)
+	      if (access(filename, F_OK) == 0)
 		{
-		  block_info(b) = (void *)fp;
+
 		  return(b);
 		}
 	    }
@@ -25503,9 +25501,9 @@ s7_pointer s7_load_with_environment(s7_scheme *sc, const char *filename, s7_poin
       block_t *b;
       b = search_load_path(sc, filename);
       if (b)
-	{
-	  new_filename = copy_string((const char *)block_data(b)); /* (require libc.scm) for example needs the directory for cload in some cases */
-	  fp = (FILE *)block_info(b);
+      {
+        
+        fp = fopen(block_data(b), "r");
 	  liberate(sc, b);
 	}
     }
@@ -25632,16 +25630,20 @@ defaults to the rootlet.  To load into the current environment instead, pass (cu
 	init = s7_let_ref(sc, (is_null(sc->envir)) ? sc->rootlet : sc->envir, make_symbol(sc, "init_func"));
 	if (is_symbol(init))
 	  {
-	    void *library;
+	    void *library = NULL;
 	    char *pwd_name;
 	    block_t *pname = NULL;
 
 	    if (fname[0] != '/')
 	      {
-		pname = full_filename(sc, fname); /* this is necessary, at least in Linux -- we can't blithely dlopen whatever is passed to us */
-		pwd_name = (char *)block_data(pname);
+              block_t *searched = search_load_path(sc, fname);
+              if (searched) {
+                  pname = full_filename(sc, block_data(searched)); /* this is necessary, at least in Linux -- we can't blithely dlopen whatever is passed to us */
+                  pwd_name = (char *)block_data(pname);
+                  library = dlopen((pname) ? pwd_name : fname, RTLD_NOW);
+                  liberate(sc, searched);
+              }
 	      }
-	    library = dlopen((pname) ? pwd_name : fname, RTLD_NOW);
 	    if (library)
 	      {
 		const char *init_name;
@@ -25700,9 +25702,10 @@ defaults to the rootlet.  To load into the current environment instead, pass (cu
     {
       block_t *b;
       b = search_load_path(sc, fname);
-      if (!b)
-	return(file_error(sc, "load", "can't open", fname));
-      fp = (FILE *)block_info(b);
+      if (b)
+          fp = fopen(block_data(b), "r");
+      if (!fp)
+          return(file_error(sc, "load", "can't open", fname));
       liberate(sc, b);
     }
 
@@ -90390,7 +90393,7 @@ s7_scheme *s7_init(void)
   s7_set_setter(sc, sc->features_symbol, s7_make_function(sc, "#<set-*features*>", g_features_set, 2, 0, false, "*features* setter"));
 
   /* -------- *load-path* -------- */
-  sc->load_path_symbol = s7_define_variable_with_documentation(sc, "*load-path*", sc->nil,
+  sc->load_path_symbol = s7_define_variable_with_documentation(sc, "*load-path*", s7_list(sc, 1, s7_make_string(sc, ".")),
 			   "*load-path* is a list of directories (strings) that the load function searches if it is passed an incomplete file name");
   s7_set_setter(sc, sc->load_path_symbol, s7_make_function(sc, "#<set-*load-path*>", g_load_path_set, 2, 0, false, "*load-path* setter"));